Thief in a Gallery
by MelodyMannix
Summary: Jinx, little sister to the best thief in the world Parker, is coming to the team. They pick up where the law leaves off and when Jinx does something to piss off the Italian Mafia, the law can't help her. The only thing she knows for sure is her sister has always been there to catch her when she falls and the team's hitter keeps an annoyingly close eye on her.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys. This is a story that has been running around in my head for a while. It's a slowish burn for Eliot and my OC Jinx. I don't own any of the leverage** **characters** **, just my OC and this plot. Thanks**

Shit shit shit. I can't believe I did this. I can not believe that I did this. I really fucked up.

I parked my bike outside of an irish pub and wondered if I had the right place. I had already been to three different places looking for her but she wasn't at any of them. I put the dark helmet on the seat and walked down into McRory's to see, even though it was only 4 in the afternoon, it was still a little busy.

Everyone knew what she was up to know and the crew she was running with. It was spearheaded by Nathan Ford and they took on the heavy hitters so they had to be able to help with this right? I walked up to the bartender, a pudgier man with a dark beard and a shaved head, and asked about Nathan Ford. He looked me up and down, taking in my dark leather motorcycle pants that hung to me tightly, to my black leather jacket, to my shoulder length blonde hair. He inclined his head towards a booth in the back where a man in his 40s with brown hair was seated with a woman who was mid 30s with shoulder length brown hair and a man with such similar hair but who was built with much more muscle.

I slid silently into the empty seat next to the muscled man who had to be late 20s at best. He looked at me with such intensity I thought my hair might catch on fire, but I wasn't looking at him. I was looking across the table at the man in his 40s who had to be Nathan Ford.

"Well howdy there Darlin'," the man next to me said but there was no warmth in his voice. I ignored him.

"Um excuse me dear but perhaps is there something we can help you with?" The woman asked in a british accent. I had to keep myself from smiling. I don't know how she worked with a crew that had two different accents so far and not made fun of them. That was such a fun game we played when we were kids.

Finally Ford spoke. There was something very serious about his features. "Eliot," he addressed the man next to me but didn't look at him, he kept his eyes fixed on mine, "call Hardison and Parker get them down here now."

"Nate." Eliot warned but Ford wasn't having any of it.

"Do it now." We all sat very still as Eliot did what his boss told him to do. After he seethed into the phone, hissing something about "damn it Hardison," he hung up and we all sat silently until I heard the almost too quiet sound of two sets of feet on stairs above the bar. Then behind me was the sound of a door in the back opening and then another that opened into the bar itself. One pair of feet came forward while the other stopped in their tracks. I couldn't help the smile that crossed my face. I knew it was her that stopped. I stood from my seat then and slithered past a mid 20s black man with a very confused look on his face and came to stand in front of her. Of Parker. She was about a head taller than me and her face was unreadable as always, so I smiled even wider and flung my arms around her.

"Hiya Parker." I whispered into her ear.

"Hey Jinx." She pushed a little at my shoulders and I let her go but she did not let go of my shoulders. Instead she held me at arms length and looked at me, like she always did when we met up. It was a holdover tacktick and we both knew it but it was one that made me smile. Then, just like when we were kids she reached behind my ear and when her hand reemerged she held a sucker. I laughed out loud and took the green cavity on a stick, hastily unwrapping it and popping it into my mouth. Someone cleared their throat behind me and I spun on my heels to see who made the offending noise. The black man who was taller, maybe 6' or 6'1", seemed a little twitchy. The muscle one was doing something with his eyes that I didn't really like. The british woman looked shocked and Ford just drank out of his coffee cup, but I doubted it was just coffee.

"What's with you guys?" Parker asked with that scrunched look she got when people did something that confused her.

"Um Parker," the british woman started, "who is this girl?" She motioned a hand towards me.

"Oh this is my sister Jinx." Parker answered so matter-a-factly.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi all, so I don't own any of the Leverage characters just Jinx and the plot. I hope you like it. Tell me what you think. :)**

To say that they were in an uproar would have been an understatement. Muscles or Eliot or whatever, he gruffly guided me upstairs to what looked like… maybe a home, maybe not a home. It was definitely an apartment but it also seemed like the place they all worked. Eliot took a seat in a chair facing the door, and the brit, Sophie, Ford, and the tall one Hardison, all took up residence on the couch. That left Parker and me standing in front of six giant tvs awkwardly. Well, it would have been awkward if it was someone else. But no, it was Parker who stood perfectly relaxed and slightly confused at why everyone was staring at her.

With everyone looking at Parker I took the opportunity to look around. Kitchen, closet, stairs, bathroom. No good place to hide. No balcony. The stairs were iron spiral and horrible for sneaking about. How could Parker work in these conditions?

I decided the best course of action was to have a seat with the rest of the people in the room. So I propped myself on the arm of the chair Eliot was in. He seemed like it would be something that would bother him… so I smiled to myself.

He glared daggers at me but didn't say a thing, just set his jaw and looked at Parker again.

"What?" Parker finally demanded.

"Well, Parker, there is a young girl here who claims to be your sister." Sophie stated matter-a-factly. Parker nodded still not understanding. Parker was weird, everyone who knew her knew that. I didn't feel like explaining anything to these people. What if I said something Parker didn't want me to say? The best thing to do was to stay quiet, stay still, and listen. "Well you just never mentioned anything about a sister. And after Archie I thought you would have told us." Sophie clarriffied. She told them about Archie? Archie was like a father to Parker, or like a cool uncle, but she never talked about him. I only met the man once myself. Good thief but there was something I didn't quite like about him.

Parker looked at me and that's when I realized I was meant to explain things, not only to her new people but also to her. I took a deep breath. "Foster care and then we lived under the same roof in a warehouse for a hot minute. She taught me everything she knows, I learned some other stuff. I need your guys' help." I looked to Parker to see if I revealed more than I should but it looked like I did just fine.

"Tell us what happened," Nate said like I'm sure he had done a thousand times before. He saw me as another case, another lost soul.

I looked at Parker again, talking to her. "I went after it." That was all, but that was enough. Her eyes went wide and she rushed me, grabbing my arm and pulling me out of the room where her friends stayed seated, stunned. I waved goodby over my shoulder with my half eaten sucker.

Once we were out of the apartment and out of earshot, she let me go and spun on me. "What the hell where you thinking?" Of course she would go there.

"Biggest score ever, duh." I throw my hands up in defense.

"Yeah, but scariest people ever have it. Why would you do this and don't say the money, we both know there are better ways of getting 10 million dollars." She crossed her arms.

I looked around, not meeting her eyes. "How are the air vents in this place?"

She glared at me. "Not horrible but a little noisy. Answer the question J."

I let out a breath and then another, and then another. "We've been obsessed with this forever. Myles use to always tell us about it. Then I got a lead on _The Concert_ and I couldn't pass up the opportunity."

"I am not dragging my team on a suicide mission to get them," Parker hissed at me.

I sighed. "That's not why I need help. I went after them on my own and it got a little… close for comfort. They know my face now." I don't think I have ever seen Parker as scared as she was in that moment. I shimmied my jacket off my shoulders. "Oh and do you know anyone who can sew up a gunshot wound?" She stared the dark red stain on my left shoulder. It seeped through to my black t-shirt, soaking my whole arm in sticky drying blood.

She breathed quickly through her nose. Then yelled, "Eliot!" The long haired muscle man came running out of the apartment instantly. He skidded to a holt when he saw my arm covered in blood. He didn't look at me, just Parker, silently asking her what to do. "Just fix her." Her voice was strained and weird, like she was sad or something, but Parker didn't feel stuff like that. He nodded and guided me back into the apartment. No one said anything as he sat me down in at the kitchen table.

Then he said, not taking his eyes off me, but also not talking to me. "Bandages, suture kit, hot water, washcloth, and whiskey." The three people on the couch moved evenly. Hardison got the hot water and the washcloth, Sophie got the bandages and the suture kit, and Nate went down to the bar, I assume for the whiskey.

"I'm more of a beer girl," I mumbled at him.

"It's for your wound," he clarified.

"Then vodka would have been better, or moonshine."

He looked at me and almost smiled. "I don't like vodka or moonshine." I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "How did this happen?"

I couldn't help it. "Oh you know slipped in the shower. How do you think it happened? Someone had a gun, aimed it at me and fired." He looked hesitantly at it, as if he hadn't even heard me. He cleared his throat then and I understood. I pulled my right arm through the hole in the shirt and slowly lifted it over my head, letting it fall to the floor.

"Get me a towel too," Eliot growled out. I smirked at him. I wasn't wearing a bra.

"Am I making you uncomfortable?" Hardison came over with the water, washcloth, and a towel. He stopped in his tracks and just stared for a minute then turned away quickly.

"Uh sorry. Jinx right?" Hardison stuttered out.

"That's right. You like my sister?" I asked. Eliot handed me the towel and I wrapped it around my chest. "You can turn around now Handsome." I have never seen a man blush so hard.

"You know, I'm gonna go see what the hold up is with Nate alright okay." The poor man nearly sprinted out of the apartment.

"You sure make Hardison uncomfortable." Eliot said when the dark skinned man left.

Sophie brought the medical stuff over and gave a tight smile. "Eliot knows what he's doing dear. You'll be just fine," she assured me.

"Well I rode 100 miles on my bike with this thing, so I figured as much." I didn't mean for it to sound as snooty as it did, but I didn't care enough to apologize either.

Hardison then reappeared with whiskey in hand, Nate nowhere to be seen. I raised an eyebrow at this. I couldn't really ask for help from people who couldn't keep one of their teammates, let alone their leader, out of a bar. Hardison handed Eliot the bottle and he opened it, taking a long pull from it before handing it to me. I smiled at him, and took a pull from it as well. Eliot started cleaning the bullet hole wound in my shoulder.

"It's a through and through, so there is no bullet to pull out," he mumbled as he cleaned the back of my shoulder. Then he took the whiskey from me, just as I put it back to my lips. I rolled my eyes. "This is going to sting."

"Can't hurt worse than actually getting shot." He smiled at me, a kind of harsh ruthless smile. Then he poured the dark liquor on my shoulder. "Mother fucking cock sucker that hurts!" I spit out of clenched teeth.

"I told you." He smirked at me.

"Yeah okay, you don't have to rub it in Rambo." I took another swig from the bottle I grabbed from his hand while he worked more on my shoulder.


	3. Chapter 3

My shoulder had been done for about an hour and I was sitting on the couch watching Parker's team argue about what they were going to do. I was given a shirt that swallowed me in a horrible sea of army green. Parker had filled them in; childhood dream, Isabella Stewart Gardner, Myles, Storm on the Sea of Galilee, and of course Anthoney "The Animal" Catone of the Catone Crime Family.

"This is Parker's family, we can't just ignore that," Sophie argued in that way all British people argue.

"This is Boston, we can't be made by the Italian Mafia. Or the Irish, or the Russian. They are the Mob. No. No way." Hardison looked scared with good reason.

"We have to think this through, I mean, family is one thing, but we aren't equipped to handle this," Nate looked like he needed a drink.

"We've dealt with the Mob before, remember that wedding," Parker argued. I had never seen her this passionate about something that wasn't a security system.

"That was different," Nate tried to explain. "We were there for two days, and then the FBI stepped in."

I was feeling antsy. I had been sitting in the same place for too long. That's what made Parker the better thief, she had more patience than me. I waited until no one was looking at me and silently got up from the couch, only to have Eliot whirl on me and grab my arm.

"Where are you going Darlin'?" His voice was vaguely threatening. I tried to wrench my good arm out of his grasp, but he held very firm.

"Water. Is that okay Terminator, or do I need a hall pass?" He flashed me an unamused look.

"Stand down Eliot," Nate said. I flicked my view to the team looking at this exchange and I had to force myself not to shrink away from their prying eyes. For some reason Eliot having his hand on me felt private, and they were invading that moment.

He took his hand off my arm, but not his eyes. I could feel his laser focus stare on me as I made my way to the small kitchen, looking in three different cabinets for glasses and then filling a glass with water. I chose to stay in the kitchen for now, slinking up onto the counter and crossing my legs under me.

"Look, Little Mama," Hardison started, looking like he wanted to reach for Parker, but thought better of it, "I know you want to do something about this but I don't know what there is to do."

"We have to do something!" Passionate Parker. I could get use to that. She just seemed so, comfortable around these people. Maybe they wouldn't be that bad. I looked around the kitchen and that was when I saw it. I didn't let my eyes rest on it, knowing Eliot was still keeping a close eye on me. But it was right there, a vent grate, just big enough for me, or Parker I'd guess.

"The real question is not what we can do, but what does Jinx want?" The sound of my name stopped my scheming wheels from spinning. Nate fixed me with a look like he could actually see what was going on in my head.

Everyone else looked at me then. "Well, I guess I want them dead." I shrugged and sipped from my glass.

Hardison just shook his head, Sophie kinda made this shocked silent gasp look that made me think she was a terrible actress. Nate looked at Parker who was looking at him. And then there was Eliot. He never took his eyes off of me.

"We are not in that kind of business." Nate finally said.

"I mean, I could…" Eliot started but Nate cut him off.

"We can get them off you and or thrown into jail though." I just nodded.

After a few beats I through up my hands. "Look, if you are willing to help, I'll play by your rules, but this is my life, and I very much like being alive and getting shot kinda sucks, so if you have a plan to keep me breathing and whole that doesn't involve changing everything about me, I'm all for it." They all just kind of nodded in agreement. I slithered off the counter, careful not to put too much strain on my shoulder. "Great. Meet back here then? Let's say 8ish tomorrow?" I started towards the door when Eliot cut me off.

"Where are you going?" He looked so stern I couldn't help the snark from escaping.

I gave him big eyes and fluttering lashes. "Well Daddy, I was totally hoping to go spend the night at Jessica's. I swear her mom's home." He didn't look amused at all so I rolled my eyes. "I've been shot and rode 100 miles on my bike all without sleep. I'm tired. I'm going to find a place to crash." I went to move around him but he put his arm out to block me.

"Eliot, take her with you. Make sure nothing happens to her." I think Eliot actually growled at this order from Nate.

"I'll go too," Parker volunteered. Eliot moved his arm and grabbed my good arm.

"Not a chance in hell Parker, the last time you were in my apartment I had to buy new curtains." I wondered what happened but knowing Parker she either set them on fire or used them to dangle off the roof.

Parker just gave me a look. I gave a brief nod, and that was that. She backed down instantly. She trusted him enough to take care of me so I should have tried to trust him too. For Parker and me, trust was something that we didn't really do well.

Eliot led me out of the apartment and down to the bar, then out of the bar. I wanted a drink but it didn't seem like an option.

"I forgot my helmet upstairs," I stated as we started towards my motorcycle. I named him Bucky, because why the hell not.

Eliot barely registered my words and steered me away from Bucky. We made our way down the street to a Dodge Charger that was a horrible shade of orange. He opened the passenger side door for me and all I could think was of course he drives this.

I got in carefully trying not to move my shoulder too much. After so much time and after I got it looked at, it seemed to hurt more and more. Like a sharp and dull pain all at once that was constant and seemed to be spreading to the rest of my arm.

Eliot got in on his side and turned over the engine. Then, before he drove away, he looked at me. "If you mess with this crew, if you mess with any of them, I will let you live to regret it and the Mob will be the least of your worries."

For the first time all night, I was actually a little afraid of him in that moment. I bit my lip and nodded. "I get it." My voice sounded so little, so weak.

"And don't touch anything at my place." That was the end of all conversation as he blasted country through the speakers and raced off.

 **I don't own Leverage or the characters, I just enjoy putting my character into that world. I hope you all like it and I am sorry this chapter took so long. I wish there was a better excuse, but I just got busy and a little low. So here you go, let me know what you think!**


	4. Chapter 4

Eliot lived on the 7th story of his apartment building which also happened to be the penthouse. He probably liked that it was one of the hardest to get to. The first thing I noticed was that the front door of his apartment seemed like a vault door instead of a typical wooden door. Then, inside, all the windows were made of bullet proof plexiglass that was two inches thick. Paranoid much.

I walked in and just stood in the middle of the apartment. There wasn't much to it, like he knew that he wasn't going to be living in this place for a long time. There was a couch and a coffee table and a smallish television in what would be considered the living room. There was a kitchen decked out in all the latest and greatest culinary technologies. They were actually worth some money. Then there was a door that led to probably the bed room, but the door was closed. There was a door across from it that probably led to the bathroom. That was it.

Remembering the last thing he said to me, I was a little afraid to move. I felt his hand on my upper back between my shoulder blades. It sent a jolt of pain to my left shoulder and I flinched slightly. If he noticed he didn't say anything, and he didn't remove his hand. He just led me to one of the doors. It was the bedroom. Full sized bed, big enough for one person and not accommodating enough for sleepovers. The covers were dark blue and the pillows were grey. There was a punching bag in the corner and a side table with a lamp on it. The bedroom was as empty as the rest of the apartment. I looked at him questioningly.

"You'll sleep on the bed, I'll take the floor. I don't sleep much anyway. Bathroom is across the hall. I will put a towel in there for you and a toothbrush. Don't touch my stuff," he reiterated.

"You've got a lot of rules there," I mumbled under my breath. He left then, not another word.

I got the distinct feeling that Eliot didn't like me much, which would normally be fine, but normal didn't involve Parker and me having a bullet go through my shoulder. It bothered me. If he liked Parker and Parker liked him, then he should like me. It was just math or something very similar to it.

I sighed to myself and tried to clear my mind like I did everytime my emotions were compromising my clear thinking. I removed my boots and carefully peeled off my motorcycle pants. The shirt was big enough it covered my ass enough that I couldn't go outside in it, but if someone walked in I wouldn't look too indecent.

I hadn't lied to Eliot earlier, I was exhausted and the bed looked so damn inviting. I crawled towards the pillows and piled them on top of each other, positioning myself in a way that irritated my shoulder the least. The last thing I remember thinking was, how much it would suck if I never got to see _The Concert_ again.

I didn't know how long I had been asleep but I woke up stiff and in pain. I tried lifting myself up on my right elbow but it hurt so much I had to bite my tongue to keep from screaming. When, I finally raised myself into a sitting position, I noticed that there was still a light under the door. I moved carefully towards the door, and when I opened it I was punched in the face with the most delicious smells. My stomach yelled at me and I knew that whatever was happening in the kitchen, I had to be there.

I padded my way into the kitchen on silent bare feet, though Eliot still looked up from his cooking to look at me the moment I emerged from the small hallway.

"What time is it?" I asked, I rubbed at my eyes, trying to get the sleep out of them.

"It's around 3 in the morning." I looked at him sideways. 3 in the morning? Why was he up, and cooking?

"When do you sleep?" He just looked at me.

"You want food?" I nodded my head moving closer to the kitchen to see what he was making. It looked like some sort of fish with vegetables or something. "Go sit down on the couch I'll bring it over." I started walking over. "Damnit Jinx, put on some pants!" I couldn't help it, I smirked over my shoulder at him and moved to the couch, sitting down, tucking my legs under me.

"I only have one pair with me and they are my motorcycle pants, not really all that relaxing." I heard a gruff sound from behind me that I guessed was his best attempt at a sigh. He was way too serious for this life.

"You know," I turned to look at him, he was motioning at me the chef's knife, "even Parker has the decency to walk around with pants on."

I snorted. "No she doesn't," I countered. I remembered a few years back when she was still working alone she walked around for a full day in a shirt very similar in length to mine but it was pretty see through. I hadn't visited her since.

I felt my face fall ever so slightly thinking about it, but Eliot didn't seem to notice as he continued, "Yeah but that doesn't mean you have to follow her example. That girl is crazy."

At that I glared at him, my voice growing stronger, angry. " _That girl_ is my family so I'd watch what you say."

He didn't say anything for a long time, but then he dropped his head and ran a hand over his face. "I didn't mean it like that. I just, look I care about her too." I think that was his attempt at an apology, but it just didn't sit quite right.

"Care? I doubt you care about anyone." That was probably the wrong thing to say, but I said it anyway.

Suddenly he was out of the kitchen and around the front of the couch to face me. He was so close and looked down on me. "You don't know anything about me," he growled out.

He was so close that I couldn't stand up but I got to my knees on the couch so that we were closer to eye level. I was still forced to look up at him though. "And you don't know anything about me, but for some reason you've already decided that you don't like me, which is fine, but if you try to make Parker choose, know that she will choose me over this team in a heartbeat." I poked him in the chest.

He grabbed onto my wrist, squeezing tightly. "Are you really that messed up?" Probably, but I wasn't 100% sure what he was talking about. "I would never make Parker choose." Yes he would. Everyone makes the people they love choose at some point between them and what they see as a threat to the relationship. "And I never said I didn't like you." The last part was breathed as if his mind forced it out but his mouth was too tired to defend against it.

I wouldn't let him get off that easily so, with his hand still clasped around my wrist I pushed him backwards, twisting at a painful angle, and got to my feet. I was shorter now than I was before, but I still felt like I had more dignity on my feet than I did on my knees. "How you act, tells me you don't like me. How you speak to me tell me you don't like me. You watch me like you don't trust me. You scare me." I tried to turn to go back to the bedroom, screw my angry growling stomach, I didn't want to be in the same room as him anymore.

He didn't let go of my wrist and yanked me back to facing him causing shooting pain to go to my shoulder I winced. "I don't trust anyone and everyone is scared of me, you're nothing special Darlin'," he drawled.

"You sure know how to sweet talk a girl don't you." I scoffed at him as a look of pain or confusion crossed his face.

He released my wrist. "I'll bring you food, then I'm going out." He called as I walked back to the bedroom. I shouldn't have wondered where he was going. I shouldn't have cared about whether what I said to him had actually made him made. I shouldn't have, and yet I did.

 **I just had a hard time not writing, so here you go, a chapter that is early. Haha anyway I hope you like it, tell me what you think.**

 **I don't own leverage just fyi, just Jinx.**


	5. Chapter 5

I woke up again when the front door opened and closed, an indication that Eliot had come home from his trip to who-knows-where. There was an empty plate balanced precariously on the side table that held the lamp next to the bed. He had brought me food without saying anything and then left immediately.

I almost didn't eat his food out of spite but it smelled so damn good, I couldn't help myself. I think I inhaled it in two or three bites. I wasn't quite sure because I passed out almost immediately.

Eliot entered the room then, looking, well, he looked awful. I leaped out of the bed as quickly as I could with my bullet hole shoulder and walked towards him. He smelled like liquor and and metal. His nose was bleeding and there was a bruise forming on his right cheek. But it was the look in his eyes that really made him look bad. There was no rage or snark in him, just sadness.

"What happened?" I asked carefully, unsure of how to handle this.

He flashed me a half-assed smile. "Oh you know, tripped in the shower." I rolled my eyes. Using my own words was below us all.

"What time is it?" I asked him.

"It's six in the morning."

I nodded. "Okay. You get some rest and I'll go take a shower."

He was standing in the way of the door, his shoulders big enough to block me in. He didn't move out of the way, just said, "Your bandages will need to be changed when you get out. I'll stay up for that."

I shook my head, blonde hair falling in my face. "Look, Iron Man, I get that you are all big and macho and stuff but you need sleep and you are going to get at least an hour now because we are due back with the crew in 2 hours." He cocked an eyebrow at me. "I am a big girl. I can change my own bandages." With that I gently nudged him out of the way with my right shoulder, the good one, and went towards the bathroom.

I didn't hear any protests as I shut the door behind me, but I did hear the distinct sound of mattress springs compressing. At least he listens.

I carefully removed my bandages, sucking in quick breaths as I peeled it off my wound. It stuck a few times and blood started coming from little places, but it was nothing I couldn't handle. I turned on the shower and stepped in, hissing as water hit my shoulder. Along with the bullet hole there was also a massive bruise that formed around it from the impact. Healing would take time that I didn't feel like giving up.

I quickly showered, turning the water a slight pink before it got washed down the drain. After what seemed like a painful eternity in the mildly warm shower, I stepped out and grabbed what I could only guess was my towel. There was a red one and a white one. I guessed the white was for me. Jokes on Eliot, I was going to bleed all over his guest towel. I smirked before I caught a glimpse at myself in the mirror.

Typically, I knew that I wasn't a horrible looking girl. But I looked bad. My eyes were red ringed with bags under the eyes. My cheeks looked hollowish and then there was my shoulder. It looked worse than what I thought. I turned to see the back. I really shouldn't have. It was black and blue and purple all around the larger-than-I-thought-it-would-be hole. The bruise reached all the way to my good shoulder, turning yellow right at the edge of my back on the right side. I mumbled a few choice swear words under my breath and went to go look for bandages.

I gave up my hunt 15 minutes in when I searched the whole apartment and didn't find any. Well, I searched most of the apartment. I didn't look in the bedroom. I didn't want to wake Eliot up.

With the too big shirt in one hand and my other hand holding my towel up, I folded myself up on the couch and resigned myself to watching tv until he woke up so I could ask him about the bandages. The air on my open wound didn't feel too good, but I wasn't about to get my only shirt, huge or otherwise, soaked in blood.

It was 7:30 when Eliot wandered out of the bedroom. "Damn it Jinx!" He swore. I whipped my head towards him, tearing my attention away from some very inaccurate cop drama.

"What?" I asked him quickly. Then I whipped around, making sure I wasn't bleeding all over his couch. The quick motion send pain rushing through my whole body. I couldn't help the cry of pain that escaped my lips.

"Stop moving!" He commanded and I did as I was told. Worried I had done something really wrong. He left then, back into the bedroom. He came back out with bandages. "You should have just woken me up and told me that you didn't have any clean bandages." He was more mumbling to himself. "Sleep can fucking wait." He knelt in front of me and started cleaning my wound and putting on new bandages for me. I still hadn't moved. I was too scared to.

There was so much pain pumping through my shoulder but I didn't move. I didn't say a word. He just worked, mumbling to himself under his breath. He looked up at me when he finished and I really looked at his bruised face.

"What happened when you went out?" I asked.

He sighed. "I found some guys who were looking for a fight." I reached for his face then, running a finger across a bruise under his eye.

"Why would you go and do a thing like that?" His southern accent slipping out more.

He suddenly jerked away. "I'm gonna get you some clothes to wear today. Then I guess if you're gonna be here for a while, we'll have to buy you your own." He ran a hand through his long hair and stood up. He didn't move for a second, then walked back into his bedroom.

I was still trying to figure out what he meant by buy myself some clothes when he walked out holding of all things, a dress. It was a sundress. It was yellow. It was horrible. He threw it at me but I dodged it, letting it sail behind the couch.

He gave me an incredulous look. "Damn it Jinx what's the problem?" I shrugged my good shoulder.

"I don't wear dresses and I don't wear yellow. The green was even a bit much for me." I said. I only wore black and white clothes. Skin tight always. It was less noticeable and the material never got in the way. Dresses, especially yellow ones, were not part of that uniform.

He walked around the couch and grabbed the dress, dropping it on my lap. "Well this is what I got for you to wear, so put it on." I glared at him. "We are leaving in 10 minutes." Then he walked into the bathroom. I sighed and stood up, letting the towel fall off my body and hit the floor. I looked at the dress, trying to figure out how I was meant to put it on.

I didn't think I could get it over my head with my shoulder, so I stepped into it and tugged it over my ass, trying to shimmy it up my body with one hand.

It felt weird and squishy moving my shoulder, even a little. The pain was one thing but feeling my insides move against itself was not a pleasant feeling. I finally got into the dress when Eliot walked out looking freshly showered. "Come on. Let's go." He started towards the door. But instead and stalked back into the bedroom to retrieve my jacket and my shoes. I heard him grumbling as I struggled to shift my jacket painlessly onto my body. Did not work out, but hey, a girl can try.

He walked in on me trying to put on my boots. I guess he was tired of waiting and grab my boot from my hand and jammed it onto my foot in a kinda painful manner. "We're leaving."

 **Hey guys. I know you've been waiting a while so here you go. Thank you to everyone who has commented, favorited, or followed this story. You have no idea how much it means to me.**

 **As always, I don't own Leverage, just Jinx.**

 **Thanks!**

 **-Melody**


	6. Chapter 6

We got to the bar at exactly 8. He walked with me up to the apartment but the second we entered the room he split from me, going to the other side of the room. I couldn't help but be a little hurt by that but I shrugged it off. Eliot was just a muscle guy, he was of no consequence. I really didn't understand how anyone could work like that. He was all brute force instead of pure stealth. Light and quick. It was the only true way to do anything.

Parker turned around silently on the balls of her feet, her blonde braid spinning around with her. She took one look at me and burst out laughing. Her pale, uncaring face, suddenly blossomed into a red tomato of joy. She was doubled over, pointing at me.

If I could have crossed my arms I would have, but instead I just settled with a withering glare. The hacker, Hardison, looked overly concerned by this which tells me that this display Parker was putting on was unusual for everyone.

"Parker?" Sophie asked concerned.

Nate came down the stairs, looking like hell. "What is going on?" he asked looked as confused as everyone else.

I huffed. "Would you quit it Parker!" She was really starting to get on my nerves.

Between laughs she said, "I'm sorry Sis but, he got you in a yellow dress." I looked down at myself. I felt ridiculous and exposed. I'd rather the ugly green shirt over this shit.

"It was all I had at my place." Eliot explained.

Hardison gave him a knowing look. "You have a sexy sundress at your apartment?"

"Sexy?" I looked at the tall geek. "You think this horrible monstrosity is good?" I looked over at Parker. "Don't tell me you started dressing like freaking Sally May Whoever."

'Would I ever be caught looking like you do right now?" Parker laughed.

I growled and stormed out. 'I'm going to get a drink. Call me up when you people have something." I didn't give a damn if it was 8 in the morning. There was a bar downstairs that was empty. Free booze. Always a good time. But then again. I didn't really need a drink did I?

No. What I needed was an excuse to get out the room long enough to get into the vents. If Eliot was going to humiliate me by making me wear this dress, I was going to be sure to destroy it while listening into what they have to say. This was going to suck with my shoulder but it was needed. I needed to know what they would say when they thought I wasn't around to hear.

I went into the hall and found a vent cover close to the ground. Of course the screws were already gone. Gotta love Parker. I removed it and attacked hooks to the back so I could put it back into place behind me. I held onto the other end of the hooks with my right hand and started shimmying my way into the vent. The cover came up slowly with my movements and then clicked into place. I dropped the hooks and made my way through the vents.

I passed by two wrong rooms before I made it to the living room/war room that the team was in. I couldn't see much being as I was by the tvs. I was guessing they were all above me based on how everyone was positioned around the seats. Parker was sitting cross legged on the couch and Hardison was sitting close, but no too close to her. Sophie was on the other side of her and Nate was standing behind the couch. Eliot was sitting in that chair closest to the door.

"Hardison, run it." Nate motioned to somewhere above me.

Hardison started, "Anthony "The Animal" Catone is the heir to the Catone Crime Family. Now they weren't part of the five families in New York, but here in Boston, they give Whitey Bulger some competition." Yeah and they were twice as cruel. "Now in 1990 the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum was robbed on St. Patrick's day. Thirteen pieces of art were taken and the estimated value is 500 million." That's not even the best part. "It is the largest private collection heist in history, and this Catone Family seem to know where it is."

I rolled my eyes. It didn't sound like he trusted me. I mean, I saw The Concert with my own eyes, what more do they want?

Parker chimed in then. "Yeah well they shot Jinx and they know her face. We have to help her."

Eliot scoffed. Everyone looked at him then. "Look, I get that she is basically family Parker, I do, but you're talking about taking on one of the most powerful and dangerous families out there. Now my job is to keep you guys safe, and I am damn good at my job, so I saw this cause I got to. Jinx is bad news. That girl is gonna bring trouble to our door, trouble we ain't equipped to deal with. We need to get as far away from her as possible or you guys could get caught in the crossfire."

No one said anything and in my heart, I knew he was right. I'd just be putting Parker and her new family in danger. I couldn't do that. She seemed so happy. I wasn't going to be the one to take that away from her.

Eliot did it. He did what he said he wasn't going to do. He was making her choose. I knew he would. Everyone does. Lucky for him, I wasn't going to make her make that choice. I was making it for her.

I moved backwards in the vent until I hit where I had come in. I kicked open the cover causing a loudish clang and moved into the hallway. My helmet was in the bar, I saw it on the way in. I went down and grabbed it then headed towards Bucky, my bike. I took five steps out of the bar, five, before someone grabbed me from behind and clamped a hand over my mouth. They were strong, very strong. I struggled and swung my helmet, my only weapon, at them, but it did nothing.

The suddenly, there was nothing. It was just black. I was dreaming. Eliot was there without his shirt on. I could hear him calling my name. He really needed to put a shirt on, it was weirdly distracting.

 **Hey everyone! Just wanted to let you know that I love it and appreciate it when you guys comment and follow and favorite. Really makes me happy.**

 **Anyway, please remember, I don't own leverage, just Jinx.**

 **xoxo Melody**


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